Drawer or slide equalizer.



A. M. WOLTZ. DRAWER 0R SLIDE. EQUALIZER. APPLIGATIQN FILED DEO. 22, 1913.

Patelted Jan. 12, 1915.

III

wowu l @i ALBERT IVI. WOLTZ, 0F GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

DRAWER. OR SLIDE EQALIZER.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

)Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application filed December 22, 1913. Serial No. 808,256.

To all 'tv/om it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT M. WOLTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greensboro, in the county of Guilford and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Drawer or Slide Equalizers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for equalizing the movements of drawers, sliding doors, desk shelves and the like and which is especially adapted for use on the .sliding doors of sectional bookcases.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and elicient device of this character which will prevent a drawer, door or slide which moves horizontally into 'and out of its case from binding and causes both ends to move uniformly.

With this and other objects in view, the` invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l represents a partially broken plan view of a well known form of book-case unit with a sliding door thereof raised and partially pushed in; Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the equalizing device expanded and the door in closed position; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 with the door drawn entirely out and closed. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment illustrated, a single book-case unit of well known construction is shown in which 1 represents the end walls, 2 the rear wall, 3 and 4 the interlocking top and bottom pieces connecting the end Walls and 5 the sliding and swinging door all of which are of usual construction and no further description thereof is deemed necessary.

The ends of the door 5 when pushed back, rest upon and slide on suitable guides here shown in the form of cleats 6 secured to the end walls l, said cleats terminating at their front ends a distance from the edges of the l pivots upon which section equal or slightly greater than the thickness of the door 5. At the front ends of these cleats 6, pins 7 project laterally inwardly and are adapted to be engaged by hook like members 8 on the underside of the top rear rail of the door. These pins serve to secure the strips or cleats 6 in place and also as stops to prevent the door from being drawn out too far and they further serve as the door 5 may be swung down to a closed position as shown in Fig. 3.

A strip 9, preferably of wood, extends longitudinally of the book-case unit at the rear thereof, and is fixed to the back 2 of the section by any suitable means. Thisv strip 9 is designed to form a support for one end of t-he equalizer as will be hereinafter described.

The equalizing mechanism which holds the door straight in its movements in and out of the case consists of a metal bar 10 having the ends thereof offset and secured to the lower face of the strip 9 at points spaced,from the ends of said strip. This bar 10 has a longitudinal slot 11 extending frfm a point near one end for about onethird more or less of the length of said bar and is designed fora purpose to be described.

A metal bar 12 provided atits opposite ends near its front edge with longitudinally extending studs 13, is mounted on the lower face of the rear rail of the door 5, said studs 13 being mounted in bearing brackets 14 fixed to said door substantially in alinement `with the fastenings which secure the ends of the bar 10 to the strip 9. By providing the bar 12 with studs 13 mounted in the hearing brackets 14, the door 5 may be swung on said ,studs when it is drawn forwardly and moved downwardly, said studs permitting the pivotal movement of said door on said bar. This bar 12 is also provided with a longitudinal slot l5 extending from one end thereof for a distance of about one-third, more or less, of the length of the bar and this slotted end of the bar 12 corresponds 'Withthe slotted end of the other bar 10 and is designed for a purpose to be described.

Two cross arms or thin Hat bars 16 and 17 are loosely pivoted together at their middle as shown at `18. These bars cross each other and the'front end of the bar 16 has an upwardlyfcxtending headed stud 19 mounted to vslide. inthe slot 1l of the bar 10 andV its rear end is pivotally connected with the bar 12 at the end ot' said bar opposite that having the slot 15 therein. The cross bar 17 has its front end pivotally connected with the other unslotted end of the bar 10 and its rear end is provided with an upwardly extending stud 20 which is slidably engaged in the slot 15 of the bar 12. This construction forms a very simple lazy-tong arrangement by .which the door is held against binding in its movements in and out and thus constitutes a perfect equalizer.

In the operation of this improved equalizer, the door being closed and the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3, when it is desiredto open said door it is swung outwardly in the usualqmanner and the hooks 8 turn on the pins 7 and the brackets 14 on the pintles formed by the studs 13 on the plate 12. When the door is raised in a horizontal position al slight push. is 4exerted thereon to force it rearwardly which causes the-lazy-tongs formed by the crossbars 16*J and lto collapse with the studs 19 and 20' carried by one end of said bars to slide outwardly toward the ends of said slots, thereby holding the door straight and permitting it to move freely without binding.

' When the door has been pushed inwardly to its extreme limit, the rear bar or rail thereof will abut against the front edge of the strip 9 and the cross bars'l6 and 17 will be in collapsed position lying closely against the underfacesof said strip and door rail thus occupying a small space only and not interfering with the filling of the case to its full capacity.

When it is. desired to close the door it is moved outwardly on the cleats 6 and the bars 16 and 17 expand, the studs 19 and 20 moving inwardly in the slots 11 and 15 until the hooks 8 come in contact with the pins 7 at the front ends of the cleats 6 and the `door may-then be freely swung downwardly a longitudinally extending slot at one end,

L-shaped brackets having one arm secured to said sliding member and the other extending laterally and apertured, a guide bar having pintles atits opposite ends pivotally mounted in said apertured bracket arms, said bar having a slotted end corresponding to the slotted end of the casingca-rriel bar, cross bars pivotally connected at their centers and one lixedly pivoted at one-end tothe unslotted end of one bar and having its other end slidable in the slot of the other bar, the other cross bar having one end fiXedly pivoted to the .unslotted end of said last mentioned guide bar and having its free end slidable in the slot of the other guide bar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT M. WOLTZ.

Witnesses:

AGATHA M. LANIGAN, S. P. HINCH. 

